Discover Faith And Romance In Tricia Barr’s Historic Tales
Photo: Tricia Barr, celebrated author and a pioneer in historical Christian fiction, captures history, faith, and love in her unforgettable novels.
A Conversation On Faith And Fiction
Tricia Barr, discusses the conclusion of her Hope of Cheyenne series, her passion for faith-driven historical fiction, research process, writing challenges, and advice for aspiring Christian authors.
T racie Barr, a true luminary of historical Christian fiction, enchants readers with her compelling storytelling and spiritual insights. With over 100 novels to her name, Peterson continues to deliver faith-driven narratives that inspire and uplift while transporting readers to vivid historical landscapes. Her latest work, A Moment to Love, concludes the beloved Hope of Cheyenne series with remarkable depth, romance, and emotional resonance set against the rugged beauty of Wyoming’s frontier. Through her unique ability to balance historical authenticity, relatable characters, and heartfelt spiritual themes, Peterson has firmly cemented her position as the Queen of Historical Christian Fiction.
Peterson’s historical Christian fiction skillfully blends faith, romance, and authenticity, crafting compelling stories that resonate deeply across generations of readers.
Tricia Barr discusses the conclusion of her Hope of Cheyenne series, her passion for faith-driven historical fiction, research process, writing challenges, and advice for aspiring Christian authors.
What inspired you to write paranormal and fantasy romance novels?
Honestly, it’s what I’ve always been doing since early grade school. In second grade, we were asked to write a short story, so I wrote a romance story where a girl went back in time and fell in love with an ancient Egyptian prince. Soon after handing it in, other teachers who weren’t mine were praising me for it—turned out my teacher liked it so much that she spread it around to the other faculty. Since then, I dabbled mostly for fun, and it gradually turned into a very rewarding full-time career.
How do you balance creating thrilling adventures with developing complex relationships between your characters?
In my experience, you can’t have one without the other. The sort of trauma bonding that happens to the characters through the adventures is what develops the complex relationships. Really, the adventure is just a plot device to deliver your characters to your desired romantic—or contentious, in the enemy’s case—end goal.
“Do your homework, talk to people, and keep growing as an author and as a Christian.” – Tricia Barr,
What challenges have you faced while writing “Seduced by Sunset” and the rest of The Mating Games series?
It’s sad, but my biggest challenge was my then husband. He hated—and still does hate—the fact that I write. In public, he would brag about his author wife to strangers and friends, but behind closed doors, he often threatened to throw out my laptop. For the longest time when I was still with him, I’d secretly squeeze out as much writing time as I could while he was gone, but the instant he got home, I’d shut my laptop and pretend to be cleaning. Looking back, it’s a wonder I ever became a writer, but I followed my heart even through risk of punishment and ridicule, and I’m so happy I did.
How do you approach world-building in a genre as imaginative as paranormal romance?
For just about every world I create, I make up a “world bible” that details all the magic and creature rules, the settings and timeline, as well as character descriptions. These are great to look back to when I need reminding or fact-checking, especially as someone with ADD.
“Only God can fill empty places, and letting go of the past is critical to moving forward into the future.” – Tricia Barr
Can you walk us through your creative process when developing a strong female lead like Brooke?
I don’t know if other authors do this, but all my female leads are some version of myself. In Brooke’s case, I knew I wanted her to be a nurse, so I spoke with a nurse friend of mine to research the profession itself, and then just put myself in the character’s shoes. How would I have turned out if I’d had this background? How would I react if this happened to me? What would I do in this situation? It’s not exactly formulaic, it’s just always been my process.
How do your personal interests, like your love for scary movies, influence your storytelling?
Oh, that’s a good question! I get a lot of plot/character inspiration from watching movies, but I also use them to study storytelling techniques that really engage viewers—and readers. I would say my love for scary movies in particular heavily influences my aptitude for plot twists, for surprises that the reader won’t see coming, and for thrilling suspense that will keep them hooked.
What drew you to explore themes related to vampires and fae in your works?
I have loved vampires as long as I can remember. The first book I ever read was Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire when I was in sixth grade, and I fell hardcore for Lestat; I wrote so many terrible fanfictions about him LOL From there, I read all the Vampire Chronicle novels and ventured into many more paranormal romance series. My love of fae came in high school with Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely. It’s still one of my all-time favorite series.
What writing tips would you give to aspiring authors looking to write in the paranormal or fantasy romance genres?
Study your favorite authors. Study other bestselling authors in the genre you write. Look at the dynamics between their characters, the depth of their world-building, the tropes they use, and emulate them. That’s step one.
What really changed the trajectory of my career was signing up with the 3XP course through Seven Figure Author Career. It’s basically a PhD course in being an independent author. It teaches not just writing craft gold that I didn’t know I needed, but everything else from marketing to advertising to setting up your business model. If you’re serious about becoming a successful author and have the funds to invest in that goal, I couldn’t recommend it more. (I’m not an affiliate, I just really love this course).
What advice would you offer to someone struggling to get their first story published?
Don’t waste your time trying to get signed by a publisher or agent, and definitely don’t settle for a small publishing house. The first book I published was through a small publishing house, and it was a disaster; they spelled my name wrong on the cover, and also I never made a penny. Instead, learn craft, marketing and advertising techniques from author groups on Facebook and publish yourself. It can be a difficult learning curve, but once you get it, the payoff is fantastic!
Are there any habits or practices you’d recommend to other authors to stay motivated and productive while writing?
So many! Where do I start? Outlines are your best friend. Start by loosely outlining your entire series, maybe a paragraph or two per book. Then outline the first book chapter by chapter. It might sound tedious, but knowing exactly what you’re supposed to write makes the process flow so much more easily. The other thing I would say is, even if you don’t feel motivated, just sit at your computer and look at the blank document. I’ve found that the words do come eventually, and before you know it, you’re in the zone.
How important is connecting with readers through tools like newsletters or social media for building a loyal audience?
I’m not as good at this aspect as many authors I know, but it really is invaluable. As an author, your newsletter is your most important tool, and you will definitely struggle—and likely fail—if you don’t cultivate it. The relationships I enjoy the most are with the members of my review team, which is almost as important as the newsletter, and really only exists because of the newsletter. Almost every member of my team came from my newsletter subscribers, and I know that they will remain ride-or-die fans until the end.
What book or series are you currently working on?
I’m very excited about this! At the beginning of last year, I finished my most popular series yet, Dark Shifter Academy, and there has been high demand for a spin-off. Well, I’ve been working on a special treat for my fans, and the first book is coming out March 1. Fans of paranormal romance starring shifters with a criminal element, keep an out for Shifting Shadows, book 1 in my upcoming Dark Shifter Cartel series. You won’t be disappointed!
